Tolerance continued...

This new post is to clarify my position on tolerance based on Toby's comment. In regards to the situation with Kelly, Toby said wouldn't I be in error to adhere to watching horror films (which contain elements such as violence which are not supported by my faith) just because I find them interesting, while not choosing Brokeback mountain based on "faith-principles"? In other words, it seems I am being unfair to not watch Brokeback Mountain based on certain principles while not applying them to other movies just because I find those movies interesting. This is an excellent point and I will respond accordingly:

[Before I say anything else I must make one thing clear. Although I am a Christian, this doesn’t deny the fact that I am human and a sinner. I continually need the grace of the Lord Jesus and His mercy and forgiveness. I do not claim to be, in any shape or form, a perfect person. Far from it, I am always discovering more and more flaws about myself. As a result, I do not claim what I do watch is actually what I SHOULD or SHOULD NOT be watching. Some movies, I am sure, as a Christian God would not want me to watch. Some movies that I now think are acceptable, I could find out later in life that God disapproves of them. It is possible that a reader could point out a movie that might genuinely conflict with what I claim and I apologize in advance.]

I believe it is appropriate to begin with my "faith principles" as I have called them. The two principles are the condemnation of the sins of violence and homosexuality. A Christian is not to commit violence unless on the grounds of self-defense or for an act that produces a greater good (such as joining the Army in WWII to stop the extermination of the Jews). Homosexuality, most specifically the BEHAVIOR of homosexuality, is also a sin that God condemns. Under no circumstance is homosexuality a behavior that finds pleasure in God’s eyes nor is can it ever be seen as an “okay” behavior.

Following these two ideas, a Christian is not to SUPPORT, ENCOURAGE, nor PARTICIPATE in such acts. The former two are the particular actions that are under examination.

When I watch the movie The Ring, am I “supporting” or “encouraging” the actions of violence? This question demands almost exclusively on the nature of the movie. The "nature" of the movie Brokeback Mountain and the "nature" of the movie The Ring are vastly different. But before I analyze this thought, it is important to understand the relationship between the events of a movie and the reviewer watching the events. To state a person is supporting violence by watching a violent movie, as a proposition is a hard position to defend. This type of logic leads someone to supporting Adolph Hitler’s extermination of the Jews just because they watch Schindler’s List. Or because someone watches Black Hawk Down, they are supporters of Clinton’s political action in sending the Rangers into combat. This is obviously a false notion. Without a doubt, people watch movies to be entertained, but based on the “nature” of the movie, the issue of supporting the contents immediately come under scrutiny. This brings us back to the original statement that Brokeback Mountain and The Ring have two different “natures”. Brokeback Mountain is “advocating” a particular action I believe to be sin, while The Ring is telling a story for the sake of terrorizing the audience. I know this is up to debate, but I believe that the “nature” of Brokeback Mountain is to tell a story FOR THE SAKE of supporting the act of homosexuality. I do not believe the motive of the director and writer was merely to tell a story for the sake of telling a story. Schindler’s List was telling a story for the sake of revealing the horrors of the holocaust. The Ring was telling a story for the sake of scaring the audience, and Brokeback Mountain was telling a story for the sake of supporting homosexual behavior. If The Ring was made for the purpose of advocating the acceptability of violence, then I would have a different opinion about The Ring. Considering The Ring does not contain that “nature”, I do not believe I am being unfair by watching The Ring, while not watching Brokeback Mountain. Therefore, I am not being close-minded by not watching Brokeback Mountain, as I am not being unfair in how I treat it and other movies for having strong reasons for refraining from watching it (this does not include my reason that I find it extremely disgusting and that alone would repel me from the movie. Nor does it include how I do not find the story line interesting enough to spend two hours watching it).

I am showing tolerance by respecting the reasons why Kelly watched the movie. I am being open-minded to why people made the movie (they want homosexual behavior to be accepted) although I disagree and have my own reasons that justify my belief and justify why I chose not to watch that particular movie.




Post script: I LOVE MY WIFE!!!